Dragon's Dogma 2's DLC, "Dark Arisen," is set to launch on October 9th—a surprising announcement for many players.
As a sequel to Dragon's Dogma, this title maintains the series' unique combat system within the medieval fantasy ARPG genre, along with its top-tier Pawn companion system, offering an experience that stands out even more than the original.
However, this prominence comes with a unique and complete gameplay experience inherent to Dragon's Dogma 2. Looking at the player community, which has been tumultuous since launch, many view Dragon's Dogma 2 as somewhat unsuccessful, citing Director Hideaki Itsuno's departure as evidence. Yet, it is precisely this title that is now about to receive its first DLC, much to the community's surprise.
At the same time, the DLC is titled "Dark Arisen," exactly the same as the first game's DLC, leading to further speculation among players.
We were fortunate to interview the production team of Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen at this year's Gamescom. Director Kento Kinoshita and Producer Naoto Oyama answered our questions in detail, giving us a deeper understanding of this DLC.
Mr. Kento Kinoshita (left) and Mr. Naoto Oyama (right)
Below is the detailed interview content:
Q: The Norwin region in the "Dark Arisen" DLC features ice and snow as its core characteristic. Beyond visuals and weather effects, how does the cold actually impact gameplay? For instance, regarding monster behavior, spawning, and underlying systems, what mechanical differences can players realistically feel?
Kinoshita:The ice and snow in Norwin are not just visual landscapes; both players and enemies can use these environmental elements as combat mechanisms. For example, enemies can trigger avalanches, and players can intervene to use them against enemies. You can also throw stones at icicles to make them fall and injure foes. In other words, the environment itself is something you can "play" with.
In addition, players need to wear cold-resistant gear to withstand the chill, otherwise their stamina will continuously decrease. Enemies will actively utilize snowy environmental objects like icicles, and players can also use them against enemies, creating interesting offensive and defensive interactions.
Q: Why did you reuse the subtitle "Dark Arisen" from the original Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen? Is it because this DLC inherits the concepts of the first game, or because the name better fits the new expanded narrative?
Kinoshita:It's a combination of both reasons. Moreover, the name wasn't decided from the start. We designed the DLC content first, and later realized that both the gameplay loop—identifying war relics, enhancing weapons and equipment—and the story themes resonated with the original game. On another note, players have long requested "more battles," and the hack-and-slash gameplay design responds to this demand, while the story also aligns well with the title "Dark Arisen." Additionally, since fans of the original "Dark Arisen" are familiar with and attached to the name, using it helps players immediately understand what to expect. Considering these factors, we finally settled on the name "Dark Arisen" during development.
Q: The original Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen DLC was large in scale and very successful. What challenges did the team aim to tackle with this expansion for Dragon's Dogma 2? What were the initial goals?
Kinoshita:Both the original "Dark Arisen" and Dragon's Dogma 2's "Dark Arisen" share a common policy: to provide players with a fresh gameplay experience different from the base game. The original was a dungeon-exploration type, where players went to Bitterblack Isle, repeatedly returning to the same place and delving deeper into the dungeon. This time, I wanted to retain the "dungeon exploration + hack-and-slash + expedition for loot" gameplay loop, but replace the "single dungeon" with a vast new map—the snow-covered Norwin—allowing players to experience something unprecedented in Dragon's Dogma 2. The content initially revolves around cold and ice, but as the story progresses, the narrative and adventure world will gradually darken, which is precisely where the title "Dark Arisen" aligns with the content.
Q: There are 12 trial dungeons this time. To clarify, are these dungeons merely combat-focused challenges, or do they have other impacts on the base game's story and regions? Are they all located within the base game's areas?
Kinoshita:These 12 dungeons are distributed across various regions of the base game, each with its own unique design concept. While combat is central to all of them, their roles are clearly defined; some are better suited for ranged classes, while others favor melee classes. They do not serve primarily to advance the main story but rather act as part of the world-building for Dragon's Dogma 2, allowing players to discover diverse locations and enriching the overall world.
Q: After the base game's release, Pawn AI was a major point of feedback from players. For the new areas and high-intensity combat in the DLC, what targeted upgrades has the team made regarding Pawns' combat, exploration movement, and environmental awareness?
Kinoshita:Enhancements to Pawn optional behaviors and coordination with the player are mostly included in the free title update, applicable to both the base game and "Dark Arisen." When playing in Norwin, players can fully experience the new coordination actions and additional elements added in these updates. In Norwin, Pawns will also possess knowledge about this new region, providing guidance and support to the player. Furthermore, there are undisclosed DLC-exclusive contents coming up—Pawns will be able to acquire new exclusive "Specializations." Please wait for further announcements for details on these "Specializations."
Q: What are the long-term plans for "Dark Arisen" after its release? Will there be continuous small content updates, or is another large-scale expansion possible?
Oyama:Continuing to add content after the release of "Dark Arisen," providing ongoing operational support, and potentially releasing further expansions in the future are all within our considerations. However, right now, the entire "Dark Arisen" development team is fully focused on polishing the content to ensure we deliver a solid product to players. Any future plans will be discussed internally after the release, and currently, there are no specific details we can disclose publicly.
Q: You mentioned in previous interviews that a Hard Mode would be added. How does it differ from Normal Mode? Are there any enemies or story elements exclusive to Hard Mode?
Kinoshita:Hard Mode will be released as a free update alongside the DLC. You can play it even if you only own the base game without purchasing the DLC. You can either start a new game directly in Hard Mode or switch to it from an existing save file. However, please note that once you switch to Hard Mode, you cannot switch back to Normal Mode until you complete the game. The design concept is not an extremely punishing hardcore difficulty like Resident Evil's "Leon Must Die Forever," but rather aims to provide a thrilling combat experience. From start to finish, enemies will never feel weak, maintaining a constant sense of tension without being so difficult as to cause frustration. Playing through from the beginning with a new save file will present challenges at every stage. Players who enjoy high difficulty are strongly encouraged to try it out on October 9th.
Additionally, there are no new enemies exclusive to Hard Mode. However, the difficulty adjustments go beyond mere stat changes. Enemy configurations, AI logic, and behavior patterns will change to maintain a sense of thrill throughout the journey. Because it is challenging, every herb and healing item you find along the way will feel precious.
Oyama:To reiterate, in case this information wasn't conveyed accurately before—Hard Mode is a free title update launching simultaneously with "Dark Arisen," and it can be experienced even if you only own the base game.
Q: Could you briefly introduce the DLC's storyline? For example, themysterious woman Eir, who seems to be tracking the dragon? What is her story?
Kinoshita:As you may have noticed during the demo, there is a key clue—the dragon has no heart. The story of this expansion revolves around the player and Eir investigating the mystery of this "heartless dragon." In the world of Dragon's Dogma, dragons typically possess hearts, but this one's chest is empty, emitting an eerie glow. The mysterious woman Eir appears to aid the player when they are nearly defeated by this aberrant dragon, suggesting she knows something. I won't reveal too much about her relationship with the dragon or why an undead dragon without a heart exists. The process of uncovering the truth yourself will be fascinating, so please look forward to discovering it in the game.
Q: One last small question—the dragon is called "Fallen Dragon" in English and "理外の竜" (Rigai no Ryu) in Japanese. The Chinese name will likely be based on the Japanese. Could you explain the meaning of "理外" (Rigai) and the theme it represents?
Kinoshita:As the name suggests, it is a "dragon beyond reason," carrying a deep thematic meaning. Understanding the Japanese and Chinese names provides a more direct interpretation than the English name, which has a slightly different nuance. Once players encounter it, they will understand—it is not an ordinary dragon, but one without a heart, which is exactly what the name signifies.
The full truth behind it will be gradually revealed as the story progresses, so please stay tuned.